Online courses

The Freedom of Religion or Belief Learning Platform is pleased to offer online training courses. At present we offer a Training of the Trainers course on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FORB TOT).

During 2020-2021 we will also develop the following courses: a course in understanding and promoting FORB for grassroots leaders such as religious leaders, women networks or young adults' groups; a course for development professionals and a set of 8 mini-courses on Ways of Working to Promote FORB covering topics such as advocacy, documenting violations and trauma awareness. 

​Fuller details and a link to the registration form for the FORB TOT can be found below. 
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Freedom of Religion or Belief Training of the Trainers Course

In many parts of the world the situation for freedom of religion or belief is deteriorating. For positive change to happen, people from all walks of life need to know, understand and value their human rights and work for change. There is an enormous need for trainers with competence in Freedom of Religion or Belief (FORB). The FORB Learning Platform’s online Training of the Trainers course seeks to equip you with the knowledge skills and tools you need to train others on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
The course:

• is an online, facilitated, distance learning course.
• lasts 10 weeks and requires 5 hours of work per week.
• includes self-study online modules, practical assignments and 8 online conference call workshops.
• is run approximately 4 times per year, for 20 participants each time and is international and inter-religious.  
• is free of charge
• is open to staff and volunteers from any organisation involved in providing training on FORB. Priority in the allocation of places is given to organisations linked to the FORB learning platform (e.g. partners to the FORB learning platform or to NORFORB members) and to participants from contexts experiencing severe violations of the right. 

Quotes from previous participants

“I now have the knowledge, the skills and the vision for a FoRB training for Lebanon and the region.” Participant, Lebanon.

​“The combination of theory, practice, knowledge, skills and tools was great.” Participant, Israel-Palestine

“Provides all the necessary instruments for a structured and methodical approach to training design, including lots of tools that can be adapted to different contexts, target groups and course objectives. At the end of the course participants have an outline of the training plan that, after a few adjustments, is ready to be used in practice.” Participant, Pakistan

“It is a course which every human rights activist should take”. Participant, Cameroon.

Course contents

The course focuses both on training methods and on human rights/freedom of religion or belief. It includes the following 10 modules:

• Introduction to Human Rights Education
• Human Rights Education – building blocks and methods
• Introduction to Human Rights
• Introduction to Religious Literacy
• Introduction to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FORB)
• FORB in relation to other rights, development and peace
• Understanding FORB in the local context
• Ways of working to promote FORB
• Evaluating and following up training 
• The art of facilitation.

The course involves practical assignments such as developing session plans for trainings, doing a FORB context analysis for your context and preparing an action plan.
Although this is an online course it is a group course and you will be expected to participate actively in the weekly online workshops.
The course is currently only available in English.  

Click here to register for the FORB TOT

Additional courses

To be notified when the following courses become available please sign up to our mailing list on the Join in/Contact page of the website
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Coming Spring 2021: Mini-courses on ways of working to promote FORB
On demand, online short courses combining theory and practical case studies on the following methods for promoting FORB:
-    Advocacy
-    Awareness raising
-    Documenting violations
-    Early warning systems for violence
-    Countering hate speech
-    Inter-religious dialogue and collaboration
-    Legal approaches
-    Community based psycho-social support and trauma awareness

Coming Spring 2021: Local leaders course
A short course for grassroots community leaders who want understand and work to support freedom of religion or belief for all in their local context. This course can either be taken online by individuals or used as a resource for group reflection in a series of 4 study-circle meetings. For women’s groups, religious leaders, youth movements, inter-religious networks – anyone wanting to act for change at the grassroots level.
This course will be available to download on demand with open access to all.

Coming Autumn 2021: Development professionals course
A 2-3 hour online module that provides knowledge and tools to integrate freedom of religion or belief concerns in context and conflict analyses, and into development and humanitarian programming.
This courses will be available to download on demand with open access to all.